Clear Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Water • 6 Onions (large, peeled and sliced) • 2 tbsp Butter • 4 slices Bread (toasted, cut in halves) • Salt (to taste) • Pepper (to taste)

 

How to make Clear Onion Soup:

•	Take a frying pan and put butter in it. Let it melt.
•	Add onions and fry until they turn brown.
•	Add salt, pepper and water.
•	Cover the lid and let it boil for 15 minutes.
•	Take out the soup in bowls.
•	And add 2 pieces of toasted bread in each soup bowl. Serve hot!!

Tamatari Dal

Tamatari Dal

Dal is a part of everyday meal in India. It is a preparation of lentils with different spices and vegetables. Dal rice or dal roti is a staple diet of most of the Indian homes. Tomato dal or tamatar ki dal is one of the simplest and common dishes in Indian kitchen. You can call it the Indian comfort food. This dish is simple, tasty, and full of nutrition.

Onion and garlic are kind of banned in my home and that explains my love for these two flavors. I love the burnt garlic flavor in this dal. Plain rice or jeera rice is the best complement for this dal but I like it with hot rotis too.


Ingredients
Serves 4

Tamatari Dal,Bittergourd Potato fry, Appalam and Vathal

• 1 cup split pigeon peas (toor/arhar dal) washed and soaked for 15 mins
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 inch piece of ginger grated
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 2 green chillies slit
• 2 dry red chillies
• 4-5 cloves of garlic sliced
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 medium sized tomatoes washed and chopped
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• Approximately 3 cups of water for cooking the dal
• 1-2 cups of water (if required in case the dal is too thick)
• 2 tsp of ghee/oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Recipe
Pressure cook the dal in 3 cups of water with salt for 3-4 whistles. It should be cooked enough to be mashed when you mix it. Once the cooker is cooled, mash the dal and keep aside.
Heat ghee/oil in a kadhai or pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds. Once the seeds pop, add curry leaves, green chillies, and ginger. Cook for 30-40 seconds. Add garlic and cook till the garlic starts browning. Add onions and cook on low flame till onions start browning.
Add tomatoes and salt. Remember the dal already has salt so add salt for tomatoes only. Cook on low flame till tomatoes are cooked and can be mashed with the back of a spoon. Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Mix well and cook till oil separates.
Add the cooked dal to this and mix well. If the dal is too thick you can add ½ to 1 cup of water. Some people like the dal thick while some enjoy a thinner consistency so add water as per preference.
Check for seasoning and add salt or spice as required. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped coriander and serve with hot rice.

Cheesy Onion Macaroni Pasta

I have something very special for this mac n’ cheese, mostly because I have a thing for secretly healthy things that don’t seem healthy.
 In case you didn’t notice by the longest blog title ever, there is a ton of good stuff in this mac and cheese, because sometimes I just need to add in everything.

And by everything, I mean just caramelized onions.  :D

Are you in love yet?  My stomach is happy and so are my skinny jeans and so is my husband.  This is a delicious miracle!
Now, for the moment of truth.

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

• ½ box whole grain elbow macaroni (about 2.5 cups dry)
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
• ¼ cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 oz low fat cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup onions, sliced thinly
• 1 large crispy apple, chopped or grated

Instructions

1. Heat butter in a skillet over low heat. When melted, add onions and let caramelize for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor. Keep heat on low/low-medium.
2. Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and return to pan over low heat. Add chicken broth, evaporated milk, and cream cheese. When combined, add in salt.
3. Add onions to the pasta. Stir to combine and add a tablespoon more broth or milk if needed.
4. Just before serving, mix in cheese and stir until melted. Top it with Freshly ground Pepper powder.

Instant Bonda with Coconut chutney and Onion Sambar

Instant Bonda with Coconut chutney and Onion Sambar

 Ingredients:
Maida flour - 1 and 1/2 Cups
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Sour Curd - 1 cup
Green chillies - 5
Soda salt - 1 teaspoon
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Chopped ginger- 1/2 teaspoon

Instant Bonda with Coconut chutney and Onion Sambar

Chopped Onions - 1cup
Slited coconut pieces - 1 tablespoon
Salt - To taste
Oil - For Frying the bondas

Method:

• Mix the flours along with salt, soda salt and curd and leave it for 30 mins


• After half an hour, add chopped ginger, green chillies, cumin seeds and slit coconut pieces and mix well


• Heat the oil in the pan and test if the oil is ready for frying the bondas. Take small balls of dough and gently drop it in the oil 


• Fry the bondas till it becomes crisp in medium flame on both the sides


• Remove the fried bondas and place it in a plate having a tissue paper to drain the excess oil 


• The delicious Maida bonda is ready to serve

COCONUT CHUTNEY

Coconut chutney and Onion Sambar

This is one of the most ubiquitous side dishes, in all of south india. Idli, dosa or vada, any savoury snack is generally accompanied by coconut chutney. This popular accompaniment can also be readied in minutes.

  Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Makes 1 servings

Ingredients

1 cup grated coconut
2 small green chillies , chopped
1 tsp grated ginger (adrak)
1 tbsp roasted chana dal (daria)
salt to taste

For The Tempering1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1 red chilli , broken into pieces
2 to 3 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 tsp oil

Method

1. Put the coconut, green chillies, ginger, roasted split gram and salt in a blender with a little water and grind to make a fine paste. Keep aside.
2. Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding the mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves and stirring till the mustard seeds crackle. Pour this tempering over the chutney and mix well.
3. Refrigerate and use as required.
   • Sambar onion – 15 to 20 Nos
   • Tomato – 1 No (medium size)
   • Green Chilli - 2
   • Thuvar dhal(Pigeon Peas) – 1 cup
   • Tamarind – small lemon size
   • Sambar Powder – 1 tablespoon
   • Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
   • Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
   • For seasoning:
   • 2 tablespoon oil
   • Half teaspoon mustard
   • A pinch of asafeotida powder
   • Few curry leaves
   • Fresh coriander leaves - few

Method:
Wash thuvar dhal and add two cups of water along with a pinch of turmeric powder and pressure cook till soft.
Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice. It should be of 2 cups.
Peel the onion and keep it whole. Cut tomato into medium size pieces Slit the green chillies lengthwise.
In a kadai put the oil (preferably gingelly oil) and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up add asafotida and whole onions, green chillies, curry leaves and fry till the onion looks glossy. Add tomatos pieces and fry for just one minute. Then add tamarind juice along with sambar powder, turmeric and salt. Cook on medium flame till it boils well. Then add the cooked dhal mashed. Stir and cook till all blends well and thick. Remove it and garnish wish fresh coriander leaves.

Red Capsicum Chutney,Curry Leaves Chutney and Onion Chutney

Red Capsicum Chutney,Curry Leaves Chutney and Onion Chutney

Roasted Red Capsicum Chutney

Capsicum – coming from the family of chili’s, Capsicum is not only spicy, but also has a flavor and taste of its own, it comes in different colors red, green, orange.. and kids love to play with it and also eat it when prepared in a proper way.
Capsicum has its own uniqueness where all vegetables require spices to be added to get that tangy/spicy taste, capsicum owns that taste within itself.
This chutney is one of the examples of the spicy and yummy taste that it gives…

Ingredients -

1 red bell pepper

5-6 dry red chillies

little  tamarind piece

salt

1 spoon chana dal

1 spoon urad dal

1/2 spoon mustard seeds

pinch of inguva/ 2 garlic flakes

oil

Preparation – (Time app : 15 – 20 min)

Step 1:

Add 2 table spoons of oil in a kadai, and add red chillies to the oil until fried and keep aside

Step 2:

Next, add chopped red bell pepper pieces to kadai and add salt and a piece of tamarind and cover it with a lid.

Step 3:

Turn the flame to medium and allow it to cook until the bell peppers become soft.

Step 4:

Blend the fried red chilles in a mixer, add after the chillies are blended, add  cooked bell peppers and blend them together till mixture is soft. Take everything into a bowl and mix tadka to it as mentioned below

Tadka:

Add spoon of oil in the kadi when the oil is hot,  add chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, garlic flakes and let them crackle, add asafetida (inguva) to the crackling mixture. Put this mixture into the chutney from step 4.

Thats it… Its so simple to prepare… Try it at home when you dont have a lot of time to prepare food and want to do something real quick.

It goes well with Rice, Dosa, Idly, Vada, try without any side too… Its yummy..

Curry Leaves Chutney: 

( karuveppilai Chutney )

Curry leaves is one of the prime ingredient in most of the South Indian dishes. It is popular for its rich aroma and health benefits & used as a vital seasoning..! 

This Chutney made of curry leaves has a distinctive flavor and it is a great accompaniment with many dishes like hot soft idlies, crispy dosa and even plain rice.

Some of the medicinal facts of Curry Leaves:

• It helps in nourishing root hairs and prevents premature greying of hair.
• Tender Curry leaves are helpful in treating diarrohea, dysentery and piles.
• In curing skin eruptions and minor skin infections.
• Used as an eye treatment for certain eye disorders and arrests the development of eye cataract.
• Helps in curing diabetes due to obesity.
• As an external applicant in insect stings and bites of poisonous creatures.Lets see the preparation of healthy  curry leaves chutney recipe…

Ingredients: 

Curry leaves                              - 1 cup

• Oil                                            - 1 tbsp
• Urad dal                                    - 2 tbsp
• Red chilly                                  - 2
• Coconut pieces                         - ½ cup
• Tamarind                                   - a little
• Asafetida                                  - a pinch
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and drain the water completely from curry leaves.
2. Heat oil in a fry pan.
3. Sauté urad dal and roast to golden.
4. Fry red chillies.
5. Remove and keep aside.
6. Add curry leaves and sauté in low flame till they turn crispy.
7. Grind coconut pieces in a blender.
8. Now add roasted urad dal, red chilly and grind further.
9. Add salt, curry leaves, tamarind, asafetida, jaggery ( optional )  and grind to coarse paste by adding required water.Fresh n tasty curry leaves chutney ready..!!!

Onion Chutney

 Onions could be used as healthy chutney alternative to be had along with idli or dosa.
For the diet conscious, who want to follow a healthy diet regimen, onions can replace the coconut as idli or dosa accompaniment. In south India, onion chutney is usually prepared to be served with idli. There are various ways to preparing the onion chutney. Try this easy one.
Ingredients:
1 Big Onion (cut to thick slices)
1 Tsp Urad dal
1 Pinch Cumin seeds
2 Whole Red chillies /per taste
½ tsp Tamarind puree
Salt to taste
For Seasoning
1 Generous Pinch Asafoetida
½ Tsp Mustard Seeds
6-8 Curry Leaves
½ Tsp Oil
Method:
- Dry roast the urad dal, cumin seeds and red chillies till the urad turns light brown in colour. Keep aside.
- Dry roast chopped onions separately.
- In a mixer grinder grind Urad dal, cumin seeds and red chillies along with salt to a fine powder. Now add in the onions, tamarind pulp and a little water and make it into a paste.
- In a pan heat oil and add asafetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter add it to the chutney and mix it well. Serve it along with idli or dosa.
Tip: The chutney can be refrigerated and can also be served cold. There will not be much difference in its taste.

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Roti, Beans Stir-fry with Coconut and Spices and Onion Tomato Masala

Roti, Beans Stir-fry with Coconut and Spices
and Onion Tomato Masala

Beans Stir-fry with Coconut and Spices

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cook time :  20 minutes
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients
3 1/2 cup Ammarakai/ Guar beans  (chopped finely )
1 1/2 Onion ( chopped finely)
1/2 Coconut
1/2  teaspoon Red chili powder
 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1 1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 tablespoon  Urad dal/ split black gram
2 no Red chilies
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon Coconut oil
1/2 cup water
2 sprig curry leaves.
How I made

• Wash and clean the guar beans cut the head and tail and the cut them into fine pieces and set aside, chop the onion and set aside.
• Heat coconut oil  in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal and halved red chilies, when mustard seeds starts splutter add chopped onion, guar beans
• To this add turmeric powder, salt and water and close the lid cook for until entire water is evaporates and beans gets cooked.
• Then add coconut, cumin powder and red chili powder and mix once and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and enjoy with rice and gravy. 

Basic Onion Tomato Masala

Chutney is an excellent accompaniment to Indian meals, plowman's lunches, sandwiches and any other savory dish you like to add a bit of sweetness and spice to. This tomato and onion chutney is not one for keeping––it's to be made for a meal to be eaten the same day, fresh and spicy.

Ingredients

• 3 large tomatoes
• 2 onions
• 3-4 green chillies
• few coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 3 sprigs of curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 garlic paste
• 1-1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• A pinch hing (asafoetida)
• 1/2 tsp groundnut powder (new crop peanut powder) (optional)
• Salt to taste

Steps

1. 1Cut the tomatoes, onions, and green chillies into small pieces.
   
   
   2Heat the oil in the pan. Fry the mustard and cumin seeds for a minute.
   
   3Add the hing, curry leaves, green chili and onions. Deep fry until...
   
   4... The onions turn brownish.
   
   5Add the garlic paste continue frying.
   
   6Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes get gravy.
   
   7Add the red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, sugar, salt and...
   
   8... The groundnut powder.
   
   9Fry until the oil in the pan separates.
   
   10Garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves.
   
   11Serve with parathas or rice.
   
   

Onion Bajji/Onion Fritters

Onion Bajji/Onion Fritters

Fritters are round pieces of vegetables or meat that are dipped in batter then fried and these onion bhajis best suits this name. As per the name, onions are sliced and coated with flour batter, deep fried then served. These are perfect snacks to munch on during tea time, a hot cup of steaming tea with these bhajis will make evenings enlightened. This is a very easy to make snack and because onions are always available in any kitchen pantry it is also a kind of comfort food too. You can make the same bhajis with Plantains, Cabbage, Potatoes, Hard boiled eggs and Bread. Some will have a difficulty in making the onion bhajis because the rings will easily collapse during preparation. To avoid the onion rings from collapsing slice them into thicker slices and handle them gently. I have shared some more tips in the tips section please do read it for making perfect bhajis. Now lets see how to make these fritters. 

Preparation Time: 5min

Cooking Time: 10min  

Serves: 2    

Shelf life:-
Serving Suggestion: Having a cup of Coffee or Chai or with Tomato Ketchup
 

Green gram Sundal

Green gram  Sundal

Green gram / pacha payaru sundal is a healthy snack that you can prepare at the time of vinayagar chathurthi, Navarathri festival 

Preparation Time: 10min

Cooking Time: 13 min

Serves:1 cup

Shelf life:1day

Serving Suggestion : Good evening snack,probably eaten " jus lik tat "

Onion Pakora

It’s amazing how we inherit recipes through family. My Mother inherited this recipe from my granny. Onion pakoras or onion fritters is a popular Indian street food. It is one snack that is easy to prepare and tastes good too. In India pakoras are usually served with some fried salted green chilies and a green chutney or sweet chutney. this whole combo is also served with the Indian chai.

Preparation Time: 10min

Cooking Time: 13 min

Serves: 4

Shelf life:-

Serving Suggestion : with ketchup chutney as below

Onion Pakora